On-site visits to construction or manufacturing sites frequently require a visitor to wear a hard hat to protect against occasional impact from falling objects projectiles or low ceilings. As each site does not always have a hat for each visitor to wear, generally one must be brought. However, these hard hats are invariably bulky and difficult to transport because they are of single-piece construction, and since they are bulky, people do not always wish to carry them around. As a result, they are not always available when they are needed.
Furthermore, when single piece construction hard hats are carried in a vehicle to go to a construction site, they are frequently placed on an area such as the backshelf or the dashboard. When the vehicle is involved in an accident, the hard hat becomes another projectile to injure the driver or any occupants within the car.
There have been patents disclosing portable or collapsible protective gear for the head such as Ryunoshin et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,470; Pagano, U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,417; Brock et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,954; and Willis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,005. However, devices such as in Brock et al and Pagano are adapted for use in protecting the wearer against rainy weather. For example, Brock et al shows collapsible headgear having ribs extending radially from a center hub that support a flexible covering much like an umbrella. Pagano is employed for the same purpose and has thin ribs that support a flexible transparent material. The ribs are attached to a hub on each side of the wearer's collar and enclose the wearer's entire head down to the point below the chin. Willis discloses an inflatable protective headgear for use in emergency impact situations. Ryunoshin et al disclose a collapsible protective helmet having rigid fan-like members extending radially from one central hub on the top of the helmet.
Due to the fact that people are less likely to carry around a single piece construction hard hat, and if they did, it might become a projectile in a vehicular accident, it is an object of this invention to construct a hard hat that is collapsible, easily stored, and as a result, readily available for use when needed. It is also an object of this invention to provide a collapsible hard hat while still providing a helmet that will protect the wearer's head against impact.